This UNIFEM programme ran from 2001 to 2003 in recognition of the discrimination, human rights and labour violations, and exploitation experienced by migrant women workers from Asia. The programme targeted women migrant workers in Asia and sought to promote the rights of women migrant workers through a rights based approach that empowers women and strengthens the accountability mechanisms to support them. This website provides information about the programme and access to its publications. News updates in the region and updates regarding projects in individual countries and in the region are also provided. [Descriptors: Migration - Labour migration, International - Asia]

This website houses the Human Rights Watch Campaign against the Trafficking of Women and Girls. The NGO introduces the practice of human trafficking, arguing that "trafficking in persons [&] is a slavery-like practice that must be eliminated". The website provides access to numerous HRW publications and reports that deal with the human rights of trafficked women and girls around the world. A link to the US State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons report is also provided. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, International]

The Canadian Council for Refugees is an umbrella organization advocating for the rights and protection of refugees both in Canada and globally. The website contains an extensive collection of resources, including comments on Canadian refugee policy from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). One of the topic areas addressed is trafficking in women and girls which includes links to relevant resources. There is also a page on gender-based persecution which contains government documents from countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa and links to other resources and websites. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Canada, International]

Captive Daughters is an American NGO that "is committed to ending the exploitative practice of sex trafficking, with a particular focus on girls and women". Viewing sex trafficking as a human rights and feminist issue, the organization seeks to draw national and international attention to the situation of trafficked women and girls and ultimately eliminate trafficking. The website discusses definitions of trafficking, the links between trafficking and prostitution, causes of sex trafficking, sex tourism and recommendations. The "Resources" section includes lists of articles, books and films. The website also links to The Captive Diaries, a blog that illustrates that plight of trafficked women and girls through news updates, personal stories and commentary. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, International - North America]

The Centre for Refugee Studies is a research group studying a broad range of refugee issues with a focus on enhancing public discussion and policy development. Women and gender has been identified as one of the central themes of the Centre's work. The website contains information on current and past research projects, articles, and links to issues of the academic journal "Refuge". [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Canada]

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women supports the rights of women and girls to be free from sexual exploitation in all its forms by drawing international attention to sex trafficking, prostitution, sex tourism and the mail-order bride industry. The NGO produces research, educates the public, works with governments and international agencies to change legislation and supports alternatives for women and girls who have been sexually exploited. Its website provides access to a number of resources including CATW's campaigns and projects, facts on sex trafficking and prostitution in different countries and access to its vast library of materials. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking - International]

An umbrella organization established in 1974 for cooperation between non-governmental organizations in Europe concerned with refugees, The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) currently has member agencies in the majority of European countries. This site includes full-text position papers and research papers on a variety of topics relevant to the European context including interpreting international law and developing the law of the European Union on immigration and refugees. Most of these papers deal with the needs of women within the overall refugee context. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International - Europe]

This website is a resource geared specifically for lawyers and legal representatives working on asylum cases. The website aims to encourage a community of lawyers working on asylum cases and to provide relevant information and supporting documentation for information on countries and specific situations. The site contains links to other web-based resources and has a specific section on gender and asylum claims which is consistently updated. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women comprises of a network of NGOs from different regions in the world that focus on the violation of human rights through human trafficking. Guided by the UN Trafficking Protocol and a human rights framework, the network "is committed to work for changes in the political, economic, social and legal systems and structures which contribute to the persistence of trafficking in persons and other human rights violations in the context of migratory movements". The website provides information of and access to books, reports, working papers, newsletters, briefings and statements, e-bulletins, videos and international laws related to trafficking. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking - International]

The purpose of this site is to provide practitioners and researchers with a forum through which to exchange information and ideas on issues of gender and migration. The site includes a regular newsletter which provides links to relevant reports and papers on this topic. Many of these reports are included under the sub-heading of gender migration and human rights. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugee and Immigration, International]

This site contains the substantive, procedural and/or evidentiary guidelines, either implemented or proposed, for the adjudication of asylum claims based on gender related persecution. Countries surveyed include Australia, Canada, the European Union, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These guidelines tend to address issues of violence or discrimination against women constituting violations of international law. The need for modified evidentiary and procedural requirements that take into consideration both the particular nature of women asylum-seekers' claims and various cross-cultural barriers to their adjudication are also recognized in several of the gender guidelines found on the site. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

Global Rights is a human rights advocacy organization that partners with local groups to achieve justice. It provides support, training and guidance to local groups to enhance their work. The organization's human trafficking campaign seeks to ensure that responses to the phenomenon are based on internationally-recognized human rights standards. Access to their human trafficking initiative can be located under "What We Do" and "Initiatives" menu tabs. The trafficking campaign website includes updates on Global Rights' activities, access to its publications and statements, information on trafficking in the Americas, links to other resources and news articles. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking - International]

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons comprises of a number of federal government departments that are united in the fight against trafficking. The group works together to formulate and implement effective policies. The website provides a definition of human trafficking, links to relevant international laws, information about Canadas current stance on human trafficking, information about Criminal Code provisions against trafficking, and access to publications. The website does not focus specifically on women, but provides useful background information on trafficking in Canada. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, Canada]

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization founded in 1863. The ICRC has a legal mandate from the international community that is grounded in the Geneva Conventions and the ICRC's own statutes. The organization aims to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence. This sub-section of the ICRC website contains information pertaining to the legal status of displaced persons, including refugees and the internally displaced. The site contains links to relevant documents under international humanitarian law and reports of the ICRC. As well, the site contains the ICRC official statement on refugee women which advocates for a gender-sensitive interpretation and application of existing law. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

"The purpose of the Asylum Program is to secure equal protection under the law for individuals seeking political asylum or other hardship-based immigration status because of persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV sero-status." The Asylum Program provides documentation and certain types of legal support services to individuals seeking asylum and to their advocates, and engaging in advocacy designed to ensure supportive practices at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, governments and national immigration services. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

The International Organization for Migration "is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society". The website provides access to numerous resources on the international movement of people, including the organization's studies and research, international migration law and information about migration. Publications that deal with human trafficking can be located via searches in the organization's publications. The website does not focus specifically on women; however, information on gender issues related to the IOM's mandate and activities can be located under "IOM and Gender" under the "Quick Links" menu. [Descriptors: Migration - International]

The Migration Policy Institute is an independent American think-tank that focuses on global migration. The think-tank analyzes migration and refugee policies at local, national and international levels with the aim of improving responses to the movement of people. The website provides access to publications, news updates and the Migration Information Source. The Source is a monthly online publication by the Institute that provides data and analyses of global migration movements. While neither the Institute nor the Source focus solely on women, they are both useful resources for background information on migration. As well, more specific publications on women and migration can be found by searching through the Source and the Institutes publications. [Descriptors: Migration, International]

The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a United States non-governmental organization promoting immigrant and refugee policy within the US. One of the focal points of the Network is to share information and educate communities about immigrant and refugee issues. This site contains general information on immigration in the US and listings of reports of the Network. Of relevance are recent reports on the challenges facing immigrant women in the US. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International - North America]

This site aims to provide access to leading court decisions from different countries including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, regarding interpretations of the definition of refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention. The website has an extensive search function in which the user can search for cases under different topics, including gender-related persecution and women, and gain access to the full-text of the cases. Cases can also be searched by country of asylum claim, country of origin, and date. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

This website provides an overview of the rights of refugees. It specifically identifies the human rights of greatest concern for refugees and provides excerpts from a comprehensive list of international documents which both provide the rights for refugees and support the responsibility of governments to guarantee these rights. Although there is not an explicit emphasis on women, the information contained on this site does outline the international legal basis for the protection of all refugees, including women. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

This section of the University of Minnesota Human Rights library contains links to the main international and regional instruments concerning refugees, asylum-seekers, and the internally displaced. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

Founded in 1979 in response to the forced repatriation of thousands of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees, Refugees International provides early warning in crises of mass exodus. The website includes links to the extensive resources developed by Refugees International. In the women refugees section, users can access country reports, policy recommendations and news reports on situations of concern. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

ReliefWeb,
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

ReliefWeb is administered by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and acts as a source of information for the humanitarian relief community. The site contains extensive resources on the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons including reports from NGOs and UN organizations. Although the focus of the references is more upon humanitarian concerns, legal issues are included within many of the resources. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

This section of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights site provides links to the reports and news releases written by the Representative to the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons. Reports contain information on the international legal framework relevant for internally displaced persons, particularly the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Although the reports do not focus exclusively on women, both general and country specific reports contain discussions of the specific issues facing displaced women. The reports are available in English, French and Spanish. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

The Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the Human Rights of Migrants seeks to "examine ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of migrants, including obstacles and difficulties for the return of migrants who are undocumented or in an irregular situation". The website provides information on the activities of the Special Rapporteur; access to relevant international conventions, declarations and standards; annual reports of the Special Rapporteur; and documents relating to migrants' human rights. While the activities of the Special Rapporteur do not focus specifically on women migrant labourers, this website is a useful resource for more general information regarding the human rights of migrants. [Descriptors: Migration - Labour migration, International - Asia]

The Special Rapporteur on the Commission on Human Rights on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography investigates child exploitation around the world and submits reports and recommendations based on these findings to the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights. The website provides information about the role and activities of the Special Rapporteur; access to relevant international laws, declarations and standards; reports and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur; and information about the Commission on Human Rights itself. Although the work of the Special Rapportuer does not focus specifically on the trafficking of girls, the materials provided are nonetheless relevant to this topic. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking - International]

The Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially in Women and Children monitors the human rights aspects of human trafficking with a special focus on women and children. Her activities focus on three areas: acting on human rights violations and failures to protect the human rights of trafficked persons, country visits to monitor and make recommendations regarding trafficking and the human rights status of trafficked persons, and submitting annual reports on her activities and observations. The website provides information about the Special Rapporteur's role and activities; access to her annual reports; links to relevant international laws, declarations and standards; and other documents. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, International]

The focus of the Center is the protection of women's human rights, specifically asylum seekers, through public policy initiatives, advocacy, legal expertise and resource dissemination. The website, although primarily focused on the United States, does have some international content. Gender asylum case law, documents and summaries are available through the website, including some unpublished decisions. Searches of case law can be performed by country of origin or type of persecution, ground of asylum claim, and jurisdiction. Users can also access help in documenting cases, finding an expert witness and obtain legal advice and assistance. Advocates can post information about particular cases to help build the existing database. Also available is a bibliography of supporting documents and links to other related websites. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International - North America]

The Center for Migration Studies is an organization based in the United States that is committed to facilitating the study of socio-demographic, historical, economic, political, legislative and pastoral aspects of human migration and refugee movements. Its specialized library of over 24,000 volumes is one of the most comprehensive libraries on migration, refugees and ethnic groups. The catalogue permits researchers to narrow their search to a particular material type, such as dissertations, biographies, bibliographies, serials, etc. The catalogue contains resources on refugee women and international law. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

The Protection Project is a human rights research institute at the Foreign Policy Institute at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The Project seeks to shape anti-trafficking policies and practices and advance a human rights-based approach to trafficking by researching and documenting the global problem of trafficking in human beings. The website provides information about the Project and its work, as well as access to other publications and commentaries, reports and speeches related to trafficking in human beings. The Project does not focus specifically on women; however, it places special emphasis on the protection of women and children's rights. [Descriptors: Migration -Trafficking - International]

The website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) contains extensive information and resources including detailed reports, news releases and links to relevant documents of international law. A separate page highlights the relevant information focusing exclusively on refugee women. The site also monitors recent developments in refugee situations in the news section and provides detailed statistics. (Please note that a number of relevant UNHCR resources are annotated separately on the Women's Human Rights Resources database). [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]

This website on women workers can be found under the "Women's Rights" section of the Human Rights Watch homepage. It houses numerous resources and information compiled by Human Rights Watch relating to women workers, especially on the human rights situation of migrant women domestic workers. The website provides news updates, access to publications as well as links to other related online resources on the topic. [Descriptors: Migration - Labour Migration, International]